I'm Back!

Dear readers, I sincerely apologize for my absence the past couple days! Getting back into the swing of things at school with classes and field hockey has really taken a toll on my ability to cook. However, I have found my new savior and obsession! If you haven't heard of The Blue Apron, you need to click on the link as soon as possible. The Blue Apron is an amazing company that sends fresh, pre-measured ingredients, for amazing original recipes right to your door step. You have special preferences? They got it. You want them to deliver it on a certain day? Not a problem. IT IS AMAZING. So anyways, today I walked through my front door to find my first blue apron box awaiting me and I could not have been more excited. I grabbed the box, ran upstairs (almost face planting), and instantly tore it open. I pulled the package apart and there laid individually wrapped, fresh ingredients, perfectly chilled by and insulated package and ice packs. Unfortunately, I had to go to practice shortly after, but I rushed home as soon as I could. I had to choose between three different meals and all of them looked amazing. I ended up choosing the White Pizza with Meyer Lemon & Arugula-Brussels Sprout Salad. It only took 45 minutes to make! It was different, unique, and amazing. I would definitely, without a doubt, recommend this! Fortunately, I have 2 more full meals in the refrigerator to make for this week! And I PROMISE to keep you guys updated with pictures and recommendations! I hope you guys have had a great start to the new year and are busy enjoying all the meals you have made! This is the year to challenge yourself in really enjoying everything you create :) have fun with it!          

  ~ With love, Nicole Alexis ~

A little bit miss matched...

With request from Travis, tonight's menu included General Tso's Chicken with Cream Cheese Wontons. At a first glance, finding an Asian recipe with low sodium content for my Dad's high blood pressure was a challenge... but as always, Pinterest is a magical source that has everything and anything. Instantly, I was able to find a recipe for Skinny General Tso's Chicken that was incredibly easy and would fit my family's health needs. This recipe can easily be altered to the preferences of your guests. My sister is not a fan of anything hot or spicy, so when adding the hot sauce and cayenne pepper, I had to back the amounts down a notch...however, a half of a teaspoon of cayenne pepper was still too much for my picky eater. Overall, the chicken turned out fantastic and had just the right amount of heat for the preference range I had at the dinner table. As for the wontons, I kind of just came up with my own recipe. I spaced out enough wontons to fill a greased baking sheet and lightly brushed some whisked egg on the edges to help with adhesion. Adding a dollop of regular cream cheese to the center of each wonton, I then pulled each of the sides up and over the mound to create a tight seal for the cheese to melt in. After brushing the capsules with a light layer of egg, I placed them in the oven at 400F until the edges became crisp and golden brown (about 5 or 6 minutes). As a complete dish, I added some sweet a sour dipping sauce on the side. Simple, easy, and delicious!

   

Dessert

Recently, I've realized how little fruit my family consumes. Not only is this a huge problem for my family, but the nation as a whole has an outstanding necessity to increase their fruit consumption. A gallup poll done in 2010 showed that nationwide, less than half of Americans (46.6%) report eating five or more servings of fruit and vegetables on five or more days per week. That's a huge issue considering more than one-third of the US adult population is obese (CDC). ANYWAYS, with that in mind, I decided to make a Berry Clafoutis for dessert! This recipe is extremely easy and doesn't take any time at all...plus it adds some fruit to your daily consumption. I hope you enjoy!

~ With love, Nicole Alexis ~

Classic and Different

For tonights dinner, I wanted to try something different. Knowing that I would have my brother-in-law here, I also had to have something "normal." So why not 2 different types of pizza! As always, Pinterest came in clutch and I was able to find two different recipes that would work for the menu. The first was a Classic Margherita and the second was a Caramelized Onion, Apple, Bacon and Blue Cheese Pizza. To say the least, they both turned out AMAZING. With little time after getting home from the wonderful Kitchen Shoppe near my hometown, I wasn't able to make my own pizza dough, but Pillsbury Pizza Crusts definitely did the trick. The Margherita didn't disappoint, but I must say that the Blue Cheese Pizza was absolutely delectable. The flavor and texture combinations of the sweet apple, with the crunchy and meaty bacon, and the creamy cheeses made for a whirlwind of mouthfeel. This menu is a great option for individuals that have picky eaters because they are very easily adjustable. It also poses as a great chance to experiment and take some chances. I hope this gives you some ideas for a simple, easy, and fun meal! Every meal is a chance to try something new... you never know what you might end up falling in love with! My family found a new favorite tonight!

~ With love, Nicole Alexis ~

             

                                   

"A tavola non s'in vecchia" -Moosewood Restaurant

For this christmas, I was so fortunately able to add a few new cookbooks to my growing collection. Among these was the Moosewood Restaurant Favorites, a collection of the 250 most-requested recipes from the Moosewood Restaurant itself. If you haven't heard of this restaurant and their amazing and genuine commitment to serving naturally delicious meals, please take the time to look at their website by clicking on the link above. After reading through the introduction of this book, I was instantly inthralled  with their mentality on good, wholesome food and meals. As said in this book, there ability to publish over a dozen cookbooks is built off of the old Italian saying, "A tavola non s'in vecchia," which translates as "You can never grow old at the table." As many of my favorite memories occur around the family dinner table, this saying could not have related to me more. Its truly inspiring! Inspiring enough to make me cook a whole meal from their book for lunch today. One of my favorite parts about this book is the fact that they include suggestions of dish pairings at the bottom of every recipe...it's genius. So, today I made "Our Best Chili" with Moosewood Restaurant's House Cornbread. These two recipes are incredibly easy and make for a perfect winter lunch or dinner. I knew it was a success when my sister (Jess), the picky eater, went for seconds and took leftovers for her husband (Travis). If you are looking for fresh, new, AMAZING recipes...this book, or any of their cookbooks, are the way to go. They are worth every penny and more. Visiting this exquisite restaurant in Ithaca, New York has definitely been added to my bucket list. It may even be a trip for this summer!

~ With love, Nicole Alexis ~

Something Lite and Nutritious

After having some heavier dinners throughout the week, I decided to make something a little on the lighter side for dinner last night. With my Dad having high blood pressure and wanting to eat healthier, I have been trying to incorporate more fresh vegetables into our family's diet. I landed on a pinterest page for vegetarian meals that do not include pasta, because my Dad also tries to stay away from heavy carbs. With a love for tacos, I decided on a raw vegan taco. This "taco" uses a cabbage leaf as the shell and is packed full of a variety of vegetables. You can add almost anything to this dish and it will work. Although I did not make the spicy nut + seed crumble or the cashew sour cream, I did add quinoa and some oregano sour cream to the recipe. To make a fuller meal, I also sautéed some cubed acorn squash with maple syrup and cinnamon on the side. All together, this was a VERY simple and light meal, perfect for individuals that don't have a lot of time or want a nutrient dense meal. 

~ With love, Nicole Alexis ~  

    

Personal Hostess

Hello everyone! So after making a successful dinner for Jess and Travis Wednesday night, they then jokingly asked me to make dinner the next night for some friends that would be coming over. Although they were kidding (kinda), I instantly said yes! When trying to come up with a menu, the first thing they said was "nothing weird," in respect to the fact that I do like to try new things. It wasn't until the next morning, Thursday, that Travis decides that chicken pot pie would do the trick. Not just any pot pie though, my Grandmothers' Chicken Pot Pie. Now, you have to understand that I grew up on my Grandmothers' (Nanny) cooking and baking. Every Sunday, my whole family gathers at my grandparents house for dinner and I can't think of any better memories from my childhood than the nights at that house. She has made every single meal, single handily, since before I can remember. Not to mention that everything she makes is exquisite! Anyways, I instantly agreed to the challenge and went off to Nannys' house to ask for the famous recipe...but like any good cook, she had no idea where the recipe was and tended to just makeshift it by memory. Luckily, she had a recipe that was very close to what she thinks she does and I left in hopes of the best. After overcoming a quick, but intense workout, I took to the marvelous grocery store to gather what I needed. The menu for the night would be a Lasagna Bites appetizer, Nanny's Chicken Pot Pie, Salad with all the fixings, and Moosewood Cowboy Cookies for dessert. Starting at 2, I was able to have everything finished and ready to go by 6. The friends arrived, we filled our plates, and I watched as everyone, but especially Travis, took their first bites of pot pie. This is his favorite meal of Nanny's, so he was the true test of my success. Laid back as he always is, he slowly began to nod his head in approval and only at that point was I able to relax in relief. Nanny would definitely be proud and I can only hope that this gives you the motivation and inspiration to try something new and challenging! Here are some pictures throughout yesterday's process, enjoy! 

~ With love, Nicole Alexis ~

Mise En Place for Nanny's Chicken Pot Pie

 

Nothing smells better than sauteed butter and vegetables.

                      

                         

Personal Chef

Yesterday, I was so nonchalantly asked by my sister (Jess) and my brother-in-law (Travis) to make dinner at their brand new house. After realizing that I would be able to cook in their freshly equipped kitchen, I took on the job without hesitation and much excitement. Ofcourse, I first had to take their requests due to my sisters' rather picky preferences, but I instantly took to Pinterest (my favorite recipe book) to find something that would meet the wants of all my "guests." After little negotiation, we agreed to a main course of Chicken Parm Baked Ziti, green beans, salad, and biscuits. Dessert is always necessary to complete a meal, so Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes were the prime choice considering I was itching to use my beautiful new ramekins I received for Christmas. It was only appropriate that my night was followed by a dream about baking for celebrities in their impeccable kitchens. After waking up, I immediately made a master grocery list before leaving for my daily gym visit. As I attempted to burn enough calories to give myself permission to eat a full lava cake, I came up with a time schedule to have everything ready for Jess, Travis, and my Mom at 6 sharp. Although many would disagree, the grocery store is one of my favorite places (it must be a nutrition major thing). After galavanting through my local Kennies Market, I drove straight to my sisters house to start mise en place. With every step I was able to use a brand new piece of equipment and I  cannot explain to you how invigorating that was...again, it must be a nutrition major things. Anyways, 2 hours and period of time without power to the oven later, I had a full meal prepared by 6:05. By far, the stars of the night were the lava cakes. Without an oven, I had to use a toaster oven to bake them, and I must say that they turned out amazing. Although there were a few minor setbacks, being able to take some weight off of my family's shoulders, and seeing them relax at the table, made everything worth it. Nothing makes me happier than seeing others happy around the food I make. 

Here is a little sneak peak from tonight's meal!  

~ With love, Nicole Alexis ~